The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-02-24
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
SNOW BOUND At EAGLES
By BRET HARTE.
CHAPTER vi.

by q sudden barking VI euo ooSS LII sne o"O
clearing. Zenobia rose lazily and strobe TO
the window. 1t relieved Hale of certain
embarrassing reflections suggested by her
comment.
aIf it amt that God forsaken fool Dick
bringing up passengers from the snow bound
nm stage in the road! l reckon I've got
sutbin, to saw to that" But the later appear
ance Of the Apologize Dick, with the assur-
ance that the party carried a permission from
her father, granted at the lower station IN
view of such an emergency, checked her ac-
tive opposition. THAT'S like paw" she sollio-
auized aggrievedly; "shuttin' US up and set
tim the dogs on everybody for a week, ana
then letting the whole stage service pass
through one door and out at another. Well,
it's his house and his whisky, and they kin
take it, but they don't get me to help 'em."
They certainly were not a progressing or
good natured acquisition to the party. Apart
from the natural antagonism which, on such
occasions. those in possession always feel
toward the new conner, they We're strongly
inclined to resist the dissatisfied querulous-
ness and aggressive attitude of these fresh
applicants for hospitality. The most offensive
one was person who appeared to exercise
some authority over the others he was loud,
assuming and dressed with vulgar preten-
sion. He quickly disposed himself in the
chair vacated by Zenobia, and called for
some liquor
II reckon you'll hev to help yourself" said
Rawlins dryly, as the summons met with no
response There are only two women in
the house, and reckon their hands are full
already"
~ call it ID uncivil treatment" said
the man, raising his voice; "and Hennicker
had better sing smaller if he don't want his
old den pulled down some day. He amt any
better than men that hev been picked up
afore now"
"You oughter told him that, and mebbe
he'd hev come over with yer" returned Raw
Inns. "He's mild, soft, easy going man, is
Hennickert Amt he, Col. Clinch:"
The casual mention OF. Clinch's name pro-
duced the effect which the speaker probably
intended The stranger stared at Chnch,
who, apparently oblivious of the converse
ton, was blinking his cold, gray eyes at the
fire. Dropping his aggressive tone to mere
ouerulousness, the man sought the whisky
demiiohn, and helped himself and his com
panions. Fortified by liquor be returned to
the fire.
81 reckon you've heard about this yer rob-
berry, colonel" he said, addressing Clinch,
with an attempt at easy familiarity.
Without raising his eyes from the fire
Clinch briefly assented. u reckon"
am up yer examining into it for the ex-
press"
Lost mucha" asked Rawlins.
"Not SO much ez they might hev. That
fool Harkins had 100000 in greenbacks
sealed up like an ordinary package OF $1,000,
and gave it to q friend, Bill Guthrie, in the
bank to pick out some unlikely chap among
the passengers to take charge of it to Keno
He wouldn't trust the express. Ha! ha"
The dead, oppressive silence that followed
his empty laughter made it seem almost artl-
fetal. Rawlins held his breath and looked
at Clinch. Hale, with the instincts of a re-
fined, sensitive man, turned hot with the
embarrassment Clinch should have shown.
For that gentleman, without lifting his eyes
from the fire, and with no apparent change
in his demeanor, lazily asked:
aye didn't ketch the name o that paSsen
gerF'
NATURALLY, no! For when Guthrie hears
what was said agin him he wouldn't give his
name until he heard from him"
"And what was said agin him" asked
Clinch musingly.
"What would be said agin man that give
up that sum O money, like chaw of to-
bacco, for the askings Why, there were but
three men, as far ez we kin hear, that did the
job And there were four passengers inside,
armed, and the driver and express messenger
on the box. Six were robbed by three!-they
were sweet scented lot! Reckon they must
hev felt mighty small, for hear they got up
and skedaddled from the station under the
pretext of lookin' for the robbers" He
laughed again, and the laugh was noisily re-
peated by bis five companions at the Other
end of the room.
Hale, who had forgotten that the stranger
was only ecboing part Of his own criticism
OF eight hours before was on the point Of
rising with burning cheeks and angry indig-
nation, when tho lazily uplifted eye Of
Ciinch caught his, and absolutely held him
down with its paralyzing and deadly signif-
cance Murder itself seemed to look from
those cruelty quiet and remorseless gray
pupils. For a moment he forgot his own
rage in this glimpse of Clinch's implacable
resentment; for a moment he felt thrill of
pity for the wretch who had provoked it.
his chair as the lazy lids closed like sheath
over Clinch's eyes again. Rawlins, who had
probably received tho same glance of warns
ing, remained equally still. s.s.,...
"They haven't heard the last of it yet, You
bet" continued the infatuated stranger.
newspaper" be added, drawing some papers
from his pocket; ssuthin' just run off in
the coach as 1 came along. reckon I'LL
show things up in a new light. It's time
there should be some change. All the cuss-
in that's been usually done hez been by the
passengers agin the express and stage COM
pany. propose that the company should
do little cussin' themselves. See? Praps
you don't mind my readin' it to yea It's
just spicy enough to suit them newspaper
chaps"
"Go on said Col. Clinch quietly.
The man cleared his throat, with the pre-
liminary pose of authorship, and hts five
friends, to whom the composition was evil
IDENTIFY not unfamiliar, assumed anticipatory
srniles.
II call it Prize Pnsillanimous Passen-
gers Sort of runs easy off the tongue, you
know,
"It now appears that the success of the
late stage coach robbery near the summit was
largely due to the pusillanimity- to use
more serious word'n- He stopped and
looked explanatorily toward Clinch: 3YeH
see in mint what I'm gettin' at by that pu-
sillanimity of the passengers themselves. 1T
now transpires that there were only three
I: robbers who attacked the coach, and that al
though passengers, driver and express mes
senger were fully armed and were double the
number Of their asssilants, not shot was
! 6ssd. We nssa 70 reasctiens upon the well.